My Stroke of Insight

By: Jill Bolte Taylor

Narrated by: Jill Bolte Taylor

The astonishing New York Times bestseller that chronicles how a brain scientist's own stroke led to enlightenment.

On December 10, 1996, Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven-year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist experienced a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. As she observed her mind deteriorate to the point that she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life—all within four hours­—Taylor alternated between the euphoria of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace, and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized she was having a stroke and enabled her to seek help before she was completely lost. It would take her eight years to fully recover.

For Taylor, her stroke was a blessing and a revelation. It taught her that by "stepping to the right" of our left brains, we can uncover feelings of well-being that are often sidelined by "brain chatter." Reaching wide audiences through her talk at the Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference and her appearance on Oprah's online Soul Series, Taylor provides a valuable recovery guide for those touched by brain injury and an inspiring testimony that inner peace is accessible to anyone.©2008 Jill Bolte Taylor; (P)2008 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Transformative...[Taylor's] experience...will shatter [your] own perception of the world."
—ABC News

"[Dr. Taylor] brings a deep personal understanding to something she long studied: that the two lobes of the brain have very different personalities."
—The New York Times

"Fascinating...invaluable...fearless...This book is about the wonder of being human."
—Robert Koehler, Tribune Media Services

Incredibly interesting!

Absolutely fascinating to hear a first-person story of a young person who had a stroke and understood exactly what was happening. Great explanation of why she was totally unable to dial 911 when it happened.

Intruguiing and Educational

Any additional comments?

Jill has done an amazing job of sharing her journey and educating on the amazing plasticity of the human brain. Having survived a deadly brain bleed, Jill is able to take the reader on a journey from the moment it occurred through the many years of recovery. As a scientist, she lived the journey of right and left brain separation as though she had experienced a lobotomy. As her brain healed, she found a new personality. Her amazing ability to understand the function of the brain gave her the ability to understand what she needed to recover.
Why do we respond as we do? A great listen if brain injury has ever touched you life whether it be stroke, injury, cerebral palsy or otherwise. You will gain insight and wisdom to ponder.

Insight.

I would recommend this book to anyone who knows someone who had a stroke and to the person who had a stroke. Only two chapters were more technical but she gave a warning before. Mindfulness, patience and practice are so important. Hope to listen to a few part again.

How to make your life better! Read this!

This book has contributed to making my life better. I am actively practicing gratitude. I have so much more clarity on how the two sides of the brain work. Insight is the right word to describe this book

Jill's alive!

Would you consider the audio edition of My Stroke of Insight to be better than the print version?

Yes. The author is reading her own words.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jill is my favorite character because she is so focused and successful.

What about Jill Bolte Taylor’s performance did you like?

Her words make new knowledge easier to understand.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was floored when Jill was concious enough to realize she was having a stroke.